


terms of contract

by lahtays



Category: Fallout 3
Genre: Begrudging Partners, Charon's contract, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Humour, Neutral Karma Lone Wanderer, Pre-Relationship, charon is Tired, when i say lone has one braincell i MEAN that
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-08
Updated: 2020-01-08
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:07:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22167598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lahtays/pseuds/lahtays
Summary: Charon gains a new employer. Neither one them is happy about it.
Relationships: Charon (Fallout)/Female Lone Wanderer
Comments: 6
Kudos: 63





	terms of contract

The first thing Charon noticed as his eyes adjusted to the harsh afternoon sun, was how quickly the Vault Girl’s hideous blue jumpsuit was going to get them both killed.

Truthfully, he could barely comprehend how she had managed to last long enough to reach the Museum in the first place. She was young – an exact age was difficult to determine due to how incredibly short she was, but by all accounts she was the youngest person he had seen in the Underworld’s bar … ever. He had been truly surprised that Ahzrukhal hadn’t laughed her out of town the second she walked in.

And not twenty minutes later, in an even more surprising turn of events, his former employer was now a large red puddle staining the Ninth Circle’s grimy floors, making Vault Girl the sole owner of Charon’s contract. If he had made a habit of sleeping, he would have half expected to wake up by now.

He blinked as Vault Girl threw her worn backpack on the footpath next to the Museums entrance, yawning dramatically and lifting her face to soak up the blaring sunlight. If she was at all concerned about the chaos mere blocks away from where they were standing, she didn’t show it. He wondered absently how long it would take for her drop the happy-go-lucky act and get down to business – begin figuring out just how far she could go with him before she, too, ended up with a bullet to the head. He said nothing as he waited, but when she sat down and popped open a Nuka Cola on the sidewalk like it were the most casual thing in the world, he felt compelled to speak up first.

“Did Ahzrukhal go over the terms of the contract with you?” He asked plainly. With any luck she wasn’t one of the chatty ones, and he could get over this part with relatively little trouble.

The girl’s head shot up at his voice, as if she had forgotten he was there entirely. It wouldn’t be the first time. “Who, the dead guy? Oh, nah, I sort of just went for it, you know?”

He was relieved he was so well versed in keeping his expression neutral, or else he would have scoffed.

“I see.” He managed instead.

She took a large gulp of cola before blinking in realization, then began rummaging through her bag. “That reminds me,” she said cheerfully, pulling out a crumpled piece of paper lodged at the bottom of her inventory. “Here you go.”

Already, his contract in her hands had been creased and damaged more than it had been in decades, and Charon had to work to swallow down his irritation. “Would you like me to hold it?” he asked, uncertain.

Vault Girl frowned. “I mean … yeah. I’m giving it back to you to keep. It’s yours.”

“No, it’s _your_ property.” He couldn’t help but frown back at her in confusion, wondering what the hell she was playing at. “You purchased my contract from Ahzrukhal, and now you are my employer. It belongs to you.”

Again she laughed, high and sweet sounding, like she didn’t have a care in the world. “Oh, no! _No no no_ , I just bought it so that I could give it back to you! Here, take it.”

She stretched her arm out further, willing him to take it, but Charon made no move to relieve her. He had been through more employers than he could count, some good, some bad, some terrible – but he had never had anyone offer him his _own_ contract before. He still couldn’t quite tell if she was serious.

“I … I can hold it for you, mistress.” He said slowly, hoping that repeating himself might somehow reset this uncomfortable interaction. Instead, she seemed to recoil in horror at his words.

“Okay, _gross_!” she exclaimed, and once again Charon had to wonder just how young she was. “Don’t call me that. Nova is fine.”

 _Nova._ Why was he not surprised her name was something ridiculous like _Nova?_

“My apologies, Nova.” He bowed his head slightly.

“No, it’s okay, you don’t have to apologize!” She got to her feet, her half empty Cola sitting forgotten by her bag. “Look, I just bought that stupid contract Assrickal -“

_“Ahzrukhal.”_

“- Right, that’s what I said. I brought it because he seemed like a dick. Plus, he smelled weird as hell. What _was_ that?”

“That would be Jet, mistre - . . . Nova.”

“Oh, right.” Nova cleared her throat, looking as uncomfortable as he felt. “Well, it smelled nasty.”

He would have smirked if this whole thing wasn’t making him so nervous. _At least we agree on one thing,_ he thought despite himself.

They stood apart from each other awkwardly for a moment, Nova looking around with a twitch in her eye like she was searching for the nearest escape route. Eventually, she sighed, and held up the paper once more.

“Look, just take it,” she insisted. “I’m not your boss, you’re not my … my _servant_ or whatever, and I really have to go now. Places to be, and all that. I’m not playing.”

Charon didn’t know how to make it any more clear to her that he wasn’t _playing_ either, and he felt his heart begin to beat faster in his ruined chest. He had never experienced this before, never been put in a position where his employer didn’t _want_ his employment. His mind reeled, trying to think of some charismatic way to convince her to just _drop it_. He thought of Ahzrukhal, such a master at casual manipulation, and almost wished he _hadn’t_ blasted him with lead. Almost.

Charon reached out and took the contract from her steadily, folding it neatly into the lining of his armor, all while keeping his eye trained on her as if waiting for her to attack. When she didn’t, he answered quietly, struggling against the natural rasp of his vocal cords.

“I can … hold onto it for you.” He could hear himself talking in circles. _Ahzrukhal you are not,_ he thought begrudgingly.

But Nova’s expression seemed to melt into relief at his words, and she spun around on her heel, grabbing her bag and laughing with that same carefree ease as before.

“Okay, great! Thank God for that.” Without warning, she brushed past him, hurriedly walking down the footpath towards the tower of DC. She waved her hand warmly behind her as she walked.

“Guess I’ll see you around, then. Have a great life, big guy!”

Charon could only watch her in shock for a moment, the horror slowly dawning on him that she had misunderstood his words once more. His stomach was doing flips inside his gut – somehow, even the idea of someone _thinking_ he had broken his contract filled him with dread. He shook his head clear and began walking quickly to catch up with her.

His legs were long enough that he reached her only a few seconds later, and at the sound of his boots crunching against the rubble, the Vault Girl spun around incredulously.

“Are you fucking _kidding_ me?” she demanded, her pretty face screwed up in irritation and glaring daggers at him.

“No.”

“Go do something _fun_ , Charon!” He blinked at the sound of his name on her lips. “Go back inside, have a drink, do some retail therapy, chill the _fuck_ out for an hour or two!”

Charon frowned at her. “Is that what you wish of me, Nova?”

“Yes! I mean, no!” Her face was going red, and for what must have been the first time ever, he was almost glad for his ghoulish appearance, because he imagined he would have looked quite similar otherwise.

“I want you to do whatever _you_ want,” she explained breathlessly, beginning to walk again, faster this time in a futile attempt to outpace him. “What do you _want?”_

“I would like to adhere to the terms of my contract.”

“ _God give me fucking strength_ … okay, fine. I _command_ you to do whatever you want.”

She looked so triumphant, so proud of herself, and Charon couldn’t help but scoff this time.

“ _That_ doesn’t adhere to the terms of my contract.” His words made her stop abruptly in her tracks once more and reel around to face him.

“Well tough luck, big guy.” Her brief smugness had dissipated in an instant, and she crossed her arms, fuming. “Listen, whatever. Follow me around like a lost puppy if that’s what you want, but you won’t be getting any bullshit commands from me. I’m not interested in power trip crap like that.”

Charon regarded her intently where she stood, wondering if she truly believed that, or if she was just saying it to soothe her own ego. He knew her type well, he realized as he studied her. Vault Girl was used to getting what she wanted, perhaps so much so that she rarely even had to ask. Again, he pondered how long it would take for her to make this revelation on her own.

For now though, he had found his opening, a compromise he was comfortable with, and didn’t risk his chance by hesitating.

“Whatever is easiest for you, Nova.” He hoped the polite lilt to his voice would be enough to abate her anger, but she simply rolled her eyes and started forward sullenly.

“Yeah, whatever.”

They walked in near silence for a time, Nova stomping onwards while Charon busied himself with surveying the ruined buildings for the inevitable dangers they would soon reveal. Nova seemed completely oblivious to her surroundings, instead focusing on the hulking Pip Boy on her arm, smacking it occasionally in annoyance. She was muttering to herself, louder than most folks’ spoke normally, and it was beginning to give him a headache.

“So … that’s south …and _this_ is west …” She mumbled absently. “And if the sun rises in the north, then -”

“The east.” He couldn’t help himself.

“Huh?”

“The sun rises in the east.”

“But we’re in the northern hemisphere?” She countered.

“What does that have to do with anything?”

Nova frowned, skeptical. “Wouldn’t the sun rise in the north in the northern hemisphere? Christ, what the fuck is a _hemisphere?_ ”

Charon stared at her for a long time, waiting for her to laugh. She didn’t, and with a profound horror he realized she wasn’t joking.

“Where … where are you trying to go?” he said slowly, willing all the patience he had left into his words.

“I’m not _trying_ anything. I’m _going_ to Rivet City to find my dad.” Her eyes flickered back to the pip boy distractedly.

Something about the way she said it, so full of absurd determination and self confidence, made him almost feel sorry for the girl. He had met vaulties before, all just as hopeless and naive as she was, and yet here she stood, still hoping against hope in the most dangerous place in the Capital Wasteland. Sighing, he stopped in his tracks, causing her to stumble to a halt on the uneven terrain.

“We’re going the wrong way.” He said calmly.

Nova exploded without warning, screaming a slew of profanity crude enough to make a Super Mutant blush, and loud enough to guarantee that all of them heard it. In a whirlwind of anger she stomped her foot in the dirt and threw her bag across the rubble in furious defeat. Charon said nothing, watching the display in a sort of stunned fascination.

_A tantrum. Wonderful. This day keeps getting better._

After a moment of swearing and groaning to herself, Nova finally squeezed her eyes shut. Paused. Inhaled raggedly through her nose, then exhaled a few seconds later. She repeated this twenty times before she finally opened her eyes and met his own, looking decidedly unhappy.

“I … okay.” The anger was gone now, replaced with something softer. Not defeat, but … discomfort, maybe. Or guilt. “Okay, _okay_. Charon …”

“Nova.”

“Could you maybe … please … help me find my way to Rivet City? _If_ you want to. You don’t have to.”

Relief coursed through his entire body at her words, and he let out a deep breath he hadn’t even realized he’d been holding. Wordlessly he picked her bag up off of the floor, offering it to her with a tight, small smile, which he realized later was more than he had ever given Ahzrukhal in the decades he had served him.

“Of course,” he said simply. “We need to go south – back the way we came.”

Nova sighed, but she seemed relieved as well. Relieved, and exhausted. “Of course we do,” she murmured to nobody in particular. “Lead the way, then. If that’s okay.”

“It is.”

“And Charon?”

“Yes?”

“Thank you.” She said quietly. “Really.”

He couldn’t remember the last time he had been thanked. He couldn’t remember if he had ever been thanked at all.

“You’re welcome, Nova.”

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading !!! 
> 
> for anyone wondering - nova DEFINITELY gets rid of charon's contract a few months in, and supports him through that ! i honestly have so much written for them that i've never posted publically, so i figured i might as well since i love their dynamic so much. while they don't end up becoming an established relationship until after fnv, i still absolutely love their weird, endearing friendship, so i wanted to share this with yall ! 
> 
> i hope u liked it, and feel free to leave a kudos/comment if u want uwu


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